Refining Processes Handbook
Filled with handy process flow diagrams, this comprehensive reference covers the technologies and operations of petroleum refineries and provides material on operating a jointly owned and operated refinery.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Refining Processes Handbook
Chapter Ten: Refinery Off-Site Facilities and Utility Systems
REFINERY TANKAGE
Tanks are required in refineries for storage of crude, blend stocks, and products for shipping. Tanks are also required as charge tanks for many secondary processing units. In a refinery, the cost of tanks alone roughly equals that of all the process units in it.
From an operational point of view, refinery tankage can be divided into the following categories: crude storage tanks, charge tanks for secondary processing units, base stock or component storage tanks for product blending, and shipping tanks. Tanks used in various utility services are not considered here.
CRUDE STORAGE
From the viewpoint of operational safety, a refinery located close to an oilfield or pipeline terminal requires a minimum inventory equivalent to 16 hr throughput. This includes a 4-hr allowance for settling, sampling, and testing. The total minimum operating inventory comprises the following elements: crude oil working stock (=16 hr crude throughput), unavailable tank heels (of all crude tanks in operation), and line content. In practice, a storage capacity equivalent to 48 hr crude throughput is generally considered adequate for such refineries.
For coastal refineries, which are supplied crude by marine tankers, the crude storage capacity is dictated by the parcel size and frequency of crude tankers. Normally, storage capacity equivalent to 15 days throughput is considered adequate.
CHARGE TANKS
Charge tanks are required for most secondary processing units. Charge tanks are required as surge tanks, to insulate the unit from any temporary upset upstream of the unit from which it is receiving feed. These...
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